Patents Examined by Robert C Dye
  • Patent number: 11021020
    Abstract: A method for arranging stud pins in a pneumatic tire is a method for arranging stud pins in a tread portion at intervals in a tire width direction so as to form a plurality of rows. This method includes specifying an inner region, an intermediate region, and an outer region by virtually partitioning the tread portion into equal three parts from a center line extending in a tire circumferential direction to a ground contact end in the tire width direction outward. The method also includes arranging the stud pins such that among numbers of stud pins per row in the inner region, the intermediate region, and the outer region, the number in the outer region is the largest, the number in the intermediate region is the second largest, the number in intermediate region is the smallest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: TOYO TIRE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshikazu Yasunaga
  • Patent number: 11020920
    Abstract: Disclosed is a tire building system including a first drum, a second drum and first stations, a first support, a first carrier that carries the first drum with respect to the first support, a second support and a second carrier that carries the second drum with respect to the second support, wherein the first carrier is movable along the first support in a first positioning plane, wherein the second carrier is movable along the second support in the first positioning plane, wherein the first support is arranged for supporting the first carrier from below the first positioning plane and wherein the second support is arranged for suspending the second carrier from above the first positioning plane. The disclosure further relates to a method for positioning the first drum and the second drum with respect to the first stations with the use of the aforementioned system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Inventors: Antonie Slots, Evert Doppenberg
  • Patent number: 11014410
    Abstract: A tire comprises a tread portion provided with two circumferential grooves disposed one each side of the tire equator and extending continuously in the tire circumferential direction, and a crown land region between the two circumferential grooves. The crown land region is provided with first crown sipes extending from one of the circumferential grooves and terminating within the crown land region, and second crown sipes extending from the other circumferential groove and terminating within the crown land region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Matsuura, Tomoyuki Kujime
  • Patent number: 11014409
    Abstract: On a pneumatic tire are defined a first imaginary line VL1 passing through a ground contact surface in a meridian cross section of a tread portion, a second imaginary line VL2 passing through a bottom portion of a shoulder main groove and parallel to VL1, an intersection point P between VL2 and a surface of a shoulder land portion outward from a ground contact edge in a lateral direction, and an equatorial plane CL. 0.80?(B+C)/A?1.15 is satisfied, where A represents a distance in the lateral direction between P and CL, B represents a depth of the shoulder main groove, and C represents a distance in the lateral direction between the ground contact edge and CL. 0.75?S/A?0.95 is satisfied, where S represents a distance in the lateral direction between CL and an end portion of a longest belt ply in the lateral direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Sato
  • Patent number: 11007824
    Abstract: A pneumatic vehicle tire with a tread comprising circumferential grooves (2) and at least one profile rib (1), which runs around in the circumferential direction and formed in which there are grooves (4) which at a groove flank (5) of a circumferential groove (2) that delimits the profile rib (1) open into it, wherein the groove flanks (5) of the circumferential groove (2) run at an angle (?) of 12° to 17° to the radial direction, thereby widening the circumferential groove (2) in the direction of the periphery of the tread. The grooves (4) run at an angle (?) of 45°±20° to the axial direction, end within the profile rib (1), have a maximum depth (t2) of 3.5 mm and open in each case into a local indentation (7), which is formed at the groove flank (5), reaches up to the periphery of the tread, is concavely rounded along the groove flank (5) and has a bottom (7a) that runs in particular parallel to the periphery of the tread and is at a distance (c), determined in the radial direction, of 0.5 mm to 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Ahmet Özüduru, Ralf Schütte, Bernhard Roeger
  • Patent number: 11007820
    Abstract: A tire comprises a tread portion having a tire equator C and a first tread edge Te1. The tread portion is provided with a first main groove extending continuously in the tire circumferential direction and a first land region. The first main groove is provided on its axially outer groove wall with recessed portions recessed axially outwardly and arranged in the tire circumferential direction. The first land region is provided with first lateral grooves each comprising a first portion connected with the first main groove to form an opening and a second portion having a groove width smaller than the first portion and disposed axially inside thereof. At least a part of the opening of at least one of the first lateral grooves faces one of the recessed portions in the tire axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Arai
  • Patent number: 11007819
    Abstract: The invention relates to a tire for a heavy vehicle of construction plant type, comprising a working reinforcement (50), a protective reinforcement (60) and a hoop reinforcement (70). The working reinforcement (50) comprises two layers (51, 52) comprising inelastic metallic reinforcers that are crossed and make angles of between 30° and 35° with the circumferential direction, and having a force at break greater than 2500 daN. The hoop reinforcement (70) is formed by a circumferential winding forming two layers (71, 72), radially positioned between the working layers (51, 52), comprising circumferential elastic metallic reinforcers, having a force at break greater than 800 daN. The metallic reinforcers of the protective layers (61, 62) are potentially identical to the reinforcers of the hoop reinforcement, crossed from one layer to another with angles identical to the working layers. These reinforcers are elastic, have a diameter greater than 3 mm and a force at break greater than 800 daN.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: Emmanuel Clement, Alain Domingo, Elodie Le Chenadec
  • Patent number: 11001021
    Abstract: A system manufactures a tire assembly. The system includes a core having a cylindrical hub and radially protruding extensions projecting radially outward from the hub, a plurality of internal arcuate members for positioning a reinforcing layer of the about the core, the internal arcuate members each being wrapped with a reinforcement layer, the internal arcuate members being disposed in spaces circumferentially between the extensions of the core, a first side plate for securing the internal arcuate members in place relative to the core; and a second side plate for securing the core and internal arcuate members to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Ceyhan Celik, Steven Amos Edwards, Timothy Scott Miller
  • Patent number: 11000970
    Abstract: A new process for creating a decorative surface on a cast concrete tile. A mold is prepared by coating with mold release. An aggregate of water, coloring dye, sand, Portland cement, and preferably filler material such as pea gravel is pre-mixed. Baking soda is mixed with a significant volume of water to create a high-viscosity paste. The paste preferably has a high solid to liquid ratio so that it can be crumbled into baking soda clumps of various sizes. The dampened baking soda clumps are sprinkled randomly onto the bottom surface of the mold (which will bear against what becomes the top surface of the cast tile). The pre-mixed aggregate is then added to the mold. Once the aggregate is cured, the cast concrete tile is removed. The baking soda clumps create complex voids in the tile's upper surface, producing a surface texture similar to limestone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Inventors: Ann P. Gordon, Donald R. Gordon
  • Patent number: 11001020
    Abstract: A process for building different models of green tyres for vehicle wheels, by using elementary semi-finished products, in a building plant including a plurality of workstations is described. The process includes building a first carcass structure of a first model of tyre on a first forming support, in a first workstation, the first carcass structure including at least one first carcass ply obtained from a first elementary semi-finished product, and at least one first pair of annular reinforcing inserts. The process includes the delivery of the first forming support to a bypass device to go beyond at least one second workstation without transiting through it. A plant suitable for allowing the aforementioned process to be carried out is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: PIRELLI TYRE S.P.A.
    Inventors: Stefano Sangiovanni, Maurizio Marchini
  • Patent number: 11001022
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a motorcycle tire comprises: building a raw tire main body, building a breaker, sticking the breaker, and building a band. The building of the breaker comprises: moving two cylindrical support rings to operating positions, swelling the raw tire main body to have its crown portion protruding from the support rings through a gap therebetween, and winding a breaker ply material on the support rings to form a cylindrical breaker ply whose inner surface is adhered to the raw tire main body. The sticking of the breaker comprises: expanding a profiled deck to swell the raw tire main body into a second swollen state, and turning down both edge portions of the breaker while being supported by the profiled deck. The building of the band comprises: spirally winding a tape on the curved breaker ply while being supported by the profiled deck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Masafumi Otani
  • Patent number: 10987837
    Abstract: A method of forming a trim panel is provided. The method including the steps of: placing a non-woven mat of material in a heating press; heating the material to a predetermined temperature; applying a decorative film to a first surface of the heated material to create a bilaminate; placing the bilaminate layer into a cavity of a tool such that the decorative film is facing the cavity; heating the cavity; and injecting a thermoplastic resin into the tool such that the thermoplastic resin is adhered to a second surface of the material, the second surface being opposite to the first surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: INTEVA PRODUCTS, LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth Gassman, Edward J. Wenzel
  • Patent number: 10987886
    Abstract: A curing press for tires includes an upper cavity having a vertically separable upper housing and a top mold. A lower cavity is mounted on a base and forms an arrangement to provide mold height adjustment during curing. The base includes a bottom bolster structure and a bottom mold. An indexing lock ring is rotatably arranged with the bottom bolster structure for closing or opening of the top and bottom molds. The bolster structure includes squeeze cylinders having piston rods to provide mold height adjustment. A squeeze retract stop assembly is provided to restrict vertically downward movement of the bottom mold during a tire curing process. The press includes at least one locking lever and at least one indexing lock pin adapted to connect the at least one locking lever to lock holes in the bottom bolster structure wherein each lock hole corresponds to a particular mold height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: L&T RUBBER PROCESSING MACHINERY
    Inventors: Ganesh Raja Karuppusamy, Saravanakumar Murugesan, Sreeraj Panayancheril Jayakumar, Ravichandran Velusamy, Rajkumar Venugopal, Baskar Thiyagarajan, Prabu Mani, Durai Dharmaraj, Aravamudhun Govindarajan, Emmanuel Rajendran
  • Patent number: 10981420
    Abstract: A motorcycle tire includes a tread portion provided with inclined main grooves arranged between the tire equator and a first tread edge and sub-grooves smaller than the inclined main grooves in groove width. The inclined main grooves include inner main grooves each extending from a first end located on the tire equator side to a second end located on the first tread edge side with an inclination with respect to a tire circumferential direction, wherein no other grooves are provided between the first end of each inner main groove and the tire equator. The sub-grooves include first sub-grooves extending from the inner main grooves toward the tire equator with an opposite inclination direction to the inner main grooves with respect to the tire circumferential direction and terminating on the tire equator side without being communicated with any other grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Shuji Kobori
  • Patent number: 10981423
    Abstract: A system for mounting a housing and an insert to a tire includes a housing configured to be installed in a tire, wherein the housing has a top opening. The system also includes at least one anchor connected to a side of the housing in an un-deployed configuration. The system further includes an insert configured to be inserted into the top opening of the housing. The at least one anchor projects outward into the tire when the insert is inserted into the top opening of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC
    Inventor: Edward S. Seroka
  • Patent number: 10981322
    Abstract: A process for 3D printing a material by successively solidifying layers of the material to form a cross section of an object. The process includes providing a layer of the material, preheating the material to a preheating temperature, below the temperature at which the material is solidified, and solidifying a layer of the material by electromagnetic radiation or particle radiation. In the solidification step, during a predetermined period of time starting with the beginning of the solidification step, the heat introduced per unit area is reduced over time and can be described by a function which decreases monotonously depending on the time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems
    Inventor: Stefan Paternoster
  • Patent number: 10981419
    Abstract: A ratio between the total width (SW) and outer diameter (OD) of a pneumatic tire, which has an asymmetrical pattern formed by grooves formed on a tread part, satisfies SW/OD?0.3. Given a ground contact width (CW) in a ground contact region in the tread part, a groove area ratio (GR), and a groove area ratio (GRi) of a tire inner side region (Ai), which spans from a tire equator line (CL) to the vehicle side in the ground contact region, and a groove area ratio (GRo) of a tire outer side region (Ao), which spans from the tire equator line to the opposite side of the vehicle side in the ground contact region, the ground contact region is formed to satisfy 0.75?CW/SW?0.9, 10?GR?25%, and GRi<GRo.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Inventors: Masataka Kubota, Yuji Minami
  • Patent number: 10974549
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire 1 comprises a tread portion 2 provided with main grooves 3 extending zigzag continuously in the tire circumferential direction, and lateral grooves 4 extending in the tire axial direction. The main grooves 3 include a pair of shoulder main grooves 6. The lateral grooves 4 include shoulder lateral grooves 17 extending from the shoulder main grooves 6 to tread edges Te. The maximum groove width W8 of the shoulder lateral grooves 17 is 0.2 to 0.6 times the maximum groove width W1 of the shoulder main grooves 6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Takehiko Murata
  • Patent number: 10974552
    Abstract: The pneumatic tire 1 for a motorcycle comprises a tread portion 2 comprising a belt layer 7, an inner liner layer 9 made of air impermeable rubber and arranged radially inside the belt layer 7, and a sealant layer 10 attached to a radially inner surface (9a) of the inner liner layer 9. The sealant layer 10 comprises a crown portion 10A arranged at a center thereof in a tire axial direction and a pair of shoulder portions 10B arranged on both sides of the crown portion 10A in the tire axial direction. Viscosity ?2 of the shoulder portions 10B is larger than viscosity ?1 of the crown portion 10A.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Naoki Yukawa, Yutaka Ichiryu
  • Patent number: 10968329
    Abstract: A method of recovering a decomposition product of a thermosetting resin cured product, the method includes a step of contacting an object to be treated, that contains a thermosetting resin cured product, with a treatment liquid containing an alkali metal compound and an alcohol solvent, to decompose and dissolve the thermosetting resin cured product; a step of mixing the treatment liquid, in which a decomposition product of the thermosetting resin cured product is dissolved, and an acidic aqueous solution to separate the mixture into an aqueous layer and an organic layer containing the decomposition product; and a step of recovering the organic layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: SHOWA DENKO MATERIALS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kanako Ishihara, Kazuhito Kobayashi